UK weather live: Met Office extends snow and ice warning as Britons set for power cuts and travel chaos
Met Office warns of disruption across southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales
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Your support makes all the difference.The UK is bracing for another wave of snow and ice, with the Met Office issuing multiple warnings as temperatures plunged overnight, raising concerns over travel disruptions and power outages.
A yellow ice warning covering much of the east coast is in place until 12pm Wednesday, stretching down from Northumberland to Norwich.
The forecaster also extended a yellow snow and ice warning across northern Scotland between 10am Wednesday and 12pm Thursday.
Snow showers, some accompanied by lightning, began last night and are expected to carry on through the morning.
Snow may exceed 10cm over higher ground, with up to 20cm predicted in mountainous areas of Scotland by the end of the week.
“This will feel like the first taste of winter for many, with the snow and ice risks layered on top,” Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said.
On Tuesday, the cold weather led to closure of over 140 schools mid, north-east, and south-east Wales, affecting areas such as Wrexham, Powys, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Torfaen, and Blaenau Gwent.
Met office issues yellow warning for snow
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice along the east coast of Scotland and England from Berwickshire to Suffolk from 6pm on Tuesday to midday on Wednesday.
A yellow warning for snow and ice has also been issued for Northern Ireland from 6pm yesterday to 10am this morning, with a separate warning also in place across most of Wales and parts of the West Midlands until 10am on Wednesday.
Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days.”
UK issues season's first amber cold health alert
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London until 6pm on Saturday.
This comes amid widespread disruption across the UK yesterday, with more than 200 school closures reported by afternoon.
Snowfall was also widely reported, with 12cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday morning as an Arctic airmass influenced the UK’s weather.
Thousands of train passengers suffered disruption yesterday morning and a Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire toppled onto its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions.
Cold weather payments triggered
The first cold weather payments of 2024 have been triggered as snow blankets neighbourhoods across the UK and temperatures plunge.
To help support people during cold snaps like these, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) runs the cold weather payment scheme for qualifying households.
This is a one-off payment of £25 that is triggered for every seven-day period where the temperature in your area is at or below zero degrees.
An estimated 10,000 people across 18 postcode areas can now expect the payment in the coming weeks.
You are eligible for the payment if you receive Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest
You must also live in an area that has experienced seven days of zero or sub-zero temperatures. If you want to check if your postcode is in a qualifying area, the government has a handy tool.
In pictures: UK braces for snowfall and ice
Morning commuters set for disruption after parts of country see heavy snowfall
Commuters face widespread travel disruption this morning after parts of the UK saw heavy snowfall and ice.
The Met Office put in place a yellow warning for ice for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales from 5pm yesterday to 10am today.
Several other warnings for snow and ice have been in force across the UK, with the Met Office advising that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.
The forecaster warned of snow showers developing yesterday evening and continuing overnight into this morning. The showers may be heavy at times and accompanied by lightning in some areas.
Some lying snow could reach up to 10cm or more over higher ground and ice is expected to form on untreated surfaces.
Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon previously told the PA news agency: “We’ve had a fairly mild November so far.
“So it’ll feel like that first taste of winter for many with that snow and ice risk layered on top.”
He added: “The highest accumulations are likely over the mountains in Scotland, where over higher ground you could see around 20cm of snow through this week accumulating on the ground.
“They are not necessarily the most disruptive snowfalls, but it only takes a couple of centimetres on lower ground to cause some level of travel disruption.”
Winter hazards likely throughout week, Met Office warns
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days.
“The current focus for upcoming snow and ice risk is from later on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, with snow showers likely moving in off windward coasts in the north and east, as well as drifting into parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.
“In excess of 10cm of snow is possible over higher ground within the warning areas, with 1-2cm possibly settling at lower levels, which has the potential to lead to some travel disruption. Ice is an additional hazard and is likely to form quickly on untreated surfaces.”
What to do before you travel in severe weather
To ensure your travel plans go without a hitch, it’s important to plan your journey in advance, particularly if you’re travelling on routes you’re not familiar with.
Here is National Highway’s advice for what to do before you travel:
- Plan your route
- Check the availability of service areas along your route
- Make sure you know how to operate your headlights and fog lights
- Check your vehicle
- Pack a winter kit
- Check the weather forecast. If snow or ice is expected, consider delaying your journey until it clears.
- Check traffic conditions on our website and on Twitter
How to keep your dog safe and warm as the winter snow and ice sets in
Temperatures are due to drop dramatically over the coming days and we need to be mindful about how this chilly weather may affect our pets.
The Met Office has issued several yellow weather warnings for snow and ice for parts of the UK this week, so it’s important to prepare our dogs, as well as ourselves, for this forecast.
From diet to grooming, here are some things to bear in mind to keep your four-legged friends safe and well this winter…
- Keep their paws well-groomed: Paws are very sensitive to temperature changes, so try to give them some extra care and attention this winter.
- Be aware of winter hazards: Antifreeze is great for defrosting your car in a hurry, but make sure you keep it out of reach from your pets.
- Shovel the garden: If it snows this year, consider shovelling a patch of grass so your dog can go to the toilet comfortably and not get too cold.,
- Try to avoid overfeeding them: The winter months can lead to a reduction in the amount of activity your dog gets and can result in them piling on the pounds.
- Keep them active: Play fetch in the living room to keep your dog active if your dog doesn’t want to venture outside in the cold.
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